Dawn of the Black Hearts
by Psibender138
Summary: Set sometime after the first Twilight novel. A plague is spreading across the world, guided by an ancient hand, and Forks, Washington is the epidemic's origin. Now Edward, Bella and Blade must prevent the world from falling into chaos. R&R please.
1. Woe is the Contagion

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Due to my relative newness within the _Twilight_ canon, this story takes place sometime after the events of the first novel, and as you will see, is a slightly alternate universe (or AU). Some readers may find certain character actions or thematic elements confusing when taking the later _Twilight_ novels into account, hence my initial disclaimer here.

---

"_Scabs of the past peeling slowly from a dark and distant memory, emptiness, whispering menace glinting beneath the skin, consumption in the vast eternal maw, decaying teeth flickering over the tongue of the faceless, debasement of eternal torment, dark is the light.  
Dark is the light. And everything is black." _- Oren Ambarchi

It was a typically overcast day in Forks, Washington. The threat of rain loomed in the distance, and the sky was swathed in grey, as though the heavens had grown jealous of God's ultimate creation and were attempting to sap it of all color. The air was damp and thick, but this was not only from the condensation. There was something greater at work. Perhaps destiny, its scent ever-alluring, was calling once more?

Of course, such flights of fancy mattered not for our stalwart hero, a one Edward Cullen. As he lay with his love Bella in the treetops, amidst the purity of nature, all he could think of was her.

"…Edward?" asked Bella, hesitant to break the natural serenity they had been basking in.

"Yes?"

"Are you…how long do you think we'll be together?"

Edward sighed. He'd wondered how long it would take for this question to come up. He was extremely tempted to reply with _"Until you're dead,"_ though he knew this would bring their affair to an immediate end. Still, the completely literal nature of this reply amused him.

Their relationship had been through quite a tumultuous period, to say the least. Both still bore the literal and metaphorical scars from James' attack a few weeks prior. On the one hand, this strengthened the relationship between Edward and Bella; Edward, in addition to his already strong romantic infatuation, now felt empowered as Bella's protector. On the other hand, the attack had gotten Edward thinking about his role as a vampire.

What, exactly, did being a vampire dictate? There were many ways to interpret this question. Naturally, there came the immortality, and the bloodlust, but what did these facts of life really mean? Some, such as James, looked down on humanity and chose to hunt them for sport. Edward could never bring himself to join in such barbarous acts, but nevertheless he could not help but think of himself as above humanity, even Bella. Despite being mentally impenetrable, she was still a mortal. Edward knew that Bella would one day die, like every human. It didn't matter whether the cause was by his own hand, a speeding bullet, or some horrific illness; her story would end at the grave, a luxury that Edward did not have.

"I already told you. Forever," he said, letting her question hang in the air before answering it. He enjoyed the melodrama, on some level.

"Well, yeah, I know that," replied Bella. "But you're immortal, and you have no plans on making me a vampire. You're really gonna' stick with me until I'm an old woman?"

"Bella, my dear, I've already told you, true love knows no age limits," he replied.

Of course, the option of turning his beloved into a vampire was always there, but Edward wouldn't think of such a proposition. Part of Bella's appeal to him was due to the fact that she was but a mere mortal. It was a rather arrogant way of looking at things, but Edward couldn't help but indulge his own thoughts. The power he exerted over her both mentally and physically; at any moment he could tear her throat out with his bare hands and delight himself with the forbidden fruit that was her blood, and she would never suspect a thing. Edward would never do such a thing, of course; he'd sooner throw himself upon a funeral pyre than betray his lover's trust. Beyond this superiority, however, was a sense of pity. The worst thing he could do to her, worse than even murder, would be giving Bella the curse of his vampirism. Edward wouldn't wish his disease on anyone, even his worst enemy.

There were times before he met Bella that Edward had prayed for death. All too often he was reminded of his status as a walking corpse. Edward often had visions late at night, reminding him of vampirism's more gruesome side effects. He saw his blood, forever frozen in his veins, blackened and thick with coagulation. He saw his skin, pale and as solid as marble, forever doomed to sparkle in the sunlight. Edward wished sometimes that his affliction was as depicted in typical vampire films; he wished he could step outside into the sunlight and burst into flames. He wished he could drive a stake through his own heart, if only to end the malaise that had taken a hold of him. He even thought of drawing the attention of the Volturi, so that they might finally end him.

Such thoughts were persistent and unwavering, until he met Bella. Smart, clumsy, typical teenager Bella. Edward had never thought that a 17 year-old girl would be the one to placate his soul. But then again, who would?

He leaned in to kiss her, but stopped as he heard a noise from down below.

---

Being a hunter was tougher than it looked.

For one thing, it meant always being prepared for any possible situation. Cleansing a local chapel full of ghouls, only to find out that one of them is someone you fought alongside with 5 years ago? You'd better be prepared to pull the trigger, or else it meant that your ass was as good as dead. Friends were a short-term investment in this line of work.

Secondly, it meant always having a target on your back. There were always threats looming right around the corner. Some newly-converted vampire barely out of his teens would think he could take down the legendary assassin, and would employ a dozen other people to help him accomplish this goal. He'd seen it all: convoluted plots involving ritual sacrifice, "blood gods," horrific human experimentation. He'd even seen a couple of assholes claiming to be Dracula. Of course, they all fell by the wayside sooner or later, for to fail in this line of work meant failing the world.

There was no shortage of help, at least. That was something he'd always found weird. Despite vampires having seamlessly integrated into the average human population, there was never a shortage of fellow hunters willing to lend a helping hand: everything from old men to young kids with Hollywood movie star looks.

However, this was not the time for questioning one's line of work. The intel he'd gotten from Selene was disturbing, to say the least. There was a major occurrence taking place in Washington State: something about a new breed of vampire, unlike any ever seen before. Selene had even said that this could rival the attempted vampire "final solution" from a few years back. If action wasn't taken soon, the entire world would be at stake.

---

"Oh my God…Edward, what the Hell is that thing?!" shouted Bella in shock.

"I have no idea," replied Edward, his voice stern and unflinching.

The thing that approached them was truly horrific, offensive on every possible level. At first it appeared to be nothing more than a normal teenage boy, perhaps one slightly older than themselves. He was deathly pale, one of the lesser side effects of vampirism, but this was not shocking for Edward. Forks had proven to be a popular gathering spot for vampire clans; a newcomer was not exactly unexpected.

Then, they noticed the smell; this boy absolutely reeked of the grave, of wet earth and decay. But again, this was not surprising. Some of the more melodramatic vampires Edward had known chose to sleep in coffins packed with soil, so as to get more in touch with their roots.

However, the creature's approach betrayed its true nature. As it got closer, Edward noticed its eyes were black and depthless, like those of a child's doll. He saw the unflinching smile on the creature's face. He saw the open wounds and sores all over its arms, wriggling with maggots and insects.

And then he heard it laugh, and it was a sound that could send a chill up the spine of any being, living or dead.

Suddenly, the beast lunged, tackling Edward to the ground.

"Oh my God, Edward!" shouted Bella as she attempted to subdue the foul monster, only to be swatted away like a bothersome fly.

The monster opened its mouth, exposing a foul maw full of writing black tentacles. Thick, noxious fumes seemed to emanate from deep in its throat. Edward could only look on in horror as the creature prepared to consume him. It let out a high-pitched, shrieking roar…

…when it was suddenly impaled through the chest by a silver spike.

"Move!" said a voice from behind. Edward was still in a daze, but instinctively leaped out of the way, and watched as the beast was besieged by a hail of bullets. It fell, black fumes seeping from its wounds.

"Shit, haven't got much time," the voice said. Edward could only catch a glimpse of the man as he rushed over to the fallen abomination. He wore a long leather trenchcoat, and carried on his person multiple high tech weapons. The man knelt down and spread the monster's arms and legs out, putting it in a position not unlike that of da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man." He then quickly nailed spikes into the monster's wrists and ankles, pinning it to the ground, before turning to Edward.

"Hand me that gun!" said the man, pointing to a semi-automatic pistol that lay at Edward's feet. Edward could see that the man was black, though his face was still mostly obscured by a pair of sunglasses.

"What is that thing?" asked Edward, complying with his request.

"I'll explain later," said the man as he stood. The beast had awoken now, roaring at the indignity of its condition. It shrieked with a demonic madness until the very end, when the man put a bullet squarely in its head. At this the monster's body began to smolder and burn up; the black fumes became almost overpowering as it was quickly reduced to nothing more than a skeleton.

"You two need to come with me," said the man.

"What is all this?! Who are you?!" asked Bella, overwhelmed by the situation.

"Like I said, I'll explain later. We're short on time as it is and I don't need to get bogged down in exposition. This town isn't safe anymore. Either you and your vampire boyfriend come with me, or I'll leave you for those things," the man replied curtly. There was no malice in his words, only cold certainty.

"How did you know I was a vampire?" asked Edward, astonished.

"I'm a hunter. It's my job to pick your types out from the normal folk," he replied.

At this, Edward clenched his hands in anticipation of battle, so the man continued, as if to ease his suspicions.

"Don't worry; I have no reason to kill you. The clans around here seem to mostly be the non-violent type. I got no problem with that. It's those things-" he said, motioning to the charred remains of the creature "-that I'm after."

"There are more of them?" inquired Edward.

"Yes and their numbers are growing at a rapid pace. I think I know how to stop them, but I need your help, both of you," he said.

"My help?" said Edward, unsure.

"Yes, you, Edward Cullen," said the man, exasperated.

"Okay, look," said Bella. "I don't know what the relationship is between you two guys, or what those things are, or any of that, but I'll do what I can to help out. But before we decide to go off on some big vampire-hunting adventure or whatever, could we at least get your name?"

"Call me…Blade," he replied.

---

And that's it for Chapter 1. If you read it, please review it. All comments and criticism are welcomed and encouraged (NO FLAMING).


	2. Exact Agony, Take Life

"_Face down where the ancient soil meets the discarded flesh, the great stench of all that is rotten, and forgotten, the unburied clamber into what you were, feasting on the joy that is stolen forever, alchemy of disgust and hatred, the unceremonious, the smell of all final moments at once, embedded in the great beasts flesh, the carrier of the tormented, the final journey through the impossible, a silence so vast, that deafens with its roaring certainty, to the unnamed places, guarded by the ancient carrion and their minions of vomit and pestilence." _– Greg Anderson

The exact details of their predicament were still sparse, but both Bella and Edward had been overcome by an intense feeling of dread. Blade had told them almost nothing as to why he needed them; any attempts to question him further about the subject, or indeed any element of their situation was ignored. Bella could tell they were in nearby Port Angeles, only a few miles away from Forks. Despite the close proximity, Bella had gotten the feeling that she would never see her old town again.

"Get out. We're here," said Blade as he pulled the car to a stop.

As the three got out, Edward's dread abruptly turned to righteous, burning anger. He managed to snag Blade's gun out from off out of his holster and pointed it at him.

"Okay, listen, you are going to give me some answers right now or I-" began Edward, but was cut off as he was struck in the face by Blade's boot.

"Motherfucker you did _not_ just try to hold me up with my own gun," Blade said as he plucked the gun from Edward's hand. "You're 100 years old and you act like you're not even out of high school."

"Look, just tell us what the Hell is going on!" snarled Edward in contempt.

"And why exactly should I do that, considering you were threatening to kill me not 30 seconds ago?" replied the vampire hunter.

"Look, Blade," said Bella dejected. "Please, just tell us what's happening."

"…alright, I suppose this place is as good as any," said Blade. "Basically, we're dealing with an advanced strain of vampire."

"Wait a sec. That thing that attacked us back in the woods was a _vampire?!" _shouted Edward.

"You damn right it was. It's a new breed, and I've never seen anything like it before: strong, fast, and worst of all, normally invisible to the naked eye."

"But then how could we see it?" asked Bella.

"That's the thing," said Blade. "Only vampires, or those touched by vampires can see them. Humans see them as just an average person, no different than any random fool you'd pull off the street. Despite that, they don't use humans as prey. These vampires only use them as ways to increase their ranks. You know that black, viscous shit that was coming out of its lungs?"

The two teens nodded.

"That's a virus. An average human breathes that in, and within hours they've become one of the Black Hearts. That's what we call 'em. But like I said, humans are only used to increase their numbers. The Black Hearts' main prey is vampires, such as you, Edward."

"Vampires that prey on other vampires…" pondered Edward aloud.

"Yeah. Those tentacles you saw earlier? They…well, how can I put this without offending the young lady's delicate sensibilities? They're used to assimilate your biomass. Meaning they basically dissolve your ass from the inside out."

Blade paused to let the gravity of that statement sink in before continuing.

"There's more, too. You can't kill 'em the way you normally kill a vampire. Dissect 'em, burn 'em up, and the ashes will just slowly rebuild themselves back into a solid form. That's why you need to position their bodies into that pentagram position, and then put a silver bullet between their eyes. I've tried every other method, but it's no good."

"Okay, so there's some sort of virus that's turning people into a magical race of super-vampires that are un-killable without a very involved and contrived method, I understand that much. But why do you need us?" asked Edward, bewildered at what he'd gotten himself into.

"Because you're the key to stopping this plague before it goes worldwide," replied Blade matter-of-factly.

"And how can I possibly do that?" asked Edward.

"It's said that every 100 years there's a vampire born with incredible power deep within their soul. You, Edward Cullen, are that vampire."

"What on earth are you talking about? I never heard of any prophecy like that!" shouted Edward.

"Deny it all you want kid, but the fact remains that you are the one person capable of combating the one behind all this. The one they call Nosferatu," said Blade.

"Nosferatu?" asked Bella curiously.

"Yes, the ancient vampire of legend. He's said to predate even Dracula himself. More bat than man, it's said that he can only be slain by the one prophesized vampire. Thus far, nobody has stepped up to the task, because Nosferatu normally stays out of the public eye. It looks like he's finally made his move with this Black Heart plan though. I don't know where he got the kind of power to create a virus like that, but it must be some seriously heavy shit," said Blade.

"How do you know Nosferatu is behind all this?" asked Edward.

"Because ever since this plague started, he's been seen more than he has in the past three centuries: feeding on random Romanian townsfolk, slaughtering cattle, that sort of thing. It's said that Nosferatu brings plague with him wherever he travels, and this seems like his sort of work. This type of virus wasn't created in a laboratory, and nor were the Black Hearts. It has to be him."

"That doesn't prove it's him though. Maybe…maybe it's Dracula!" said Edward.

"Motherfucker, don't be stupid!" snapped Blade. "Dracula's been dead for millennia now, and every few years, some Calvin-Klein looking motherfucker comes around and says he's the vampire messiah! Man, give me a break! You white-ass vampires really need to lay off the Dracula shit, man. It's startin' to give me a fucking headache."

Edward and Bella looked at him, puzzled.

"…sorry," said Blade sheepishly. "It's a bit of a touchy subject with me. Gotten the exact same case at least five different times now."

"So…what do we do, Blade? I really don't know how to fight," said Edward.

"I know. That's why I'm gonna' teach you. When I get through with you, you'll be a hardened killing-machine, more than capable of taking out Nosferatu. But you gotta' commit yourself; I don't train just any random punk out of the suburbs. You think you're ready?"

"I'm ready," said Edward.

"Fuck you, you're not ready," said Blade. "You're too eager. Eagerness will get you killed on the battlefield."

"Oh, I'm ready," said Edward.

"Nigga fuck you! You ain't ready to roll with this!" replied Blade dismissively. "Go back home with your little girlfriend there; you two can pass each other notes during Math class and make-out in the hallways."

Bella watched this display of machismo with a mixture of disgust and curiosity.

"Hey man, I'm ready, I don't care what you say!" shouted Edward.

"Yeah right, like I'm gonna' believe some pussy-ass vampire who's 100 years old and still goes to high school so he can pick up girls. Hey, I know an 8 year-old who's right up your alley, you shithead pedophile!"

"I'll kick your fucking ass!" said Edward.

"Go ahead and hit me then!" shouted Blade. "Or are you just afraid I'll slap you like the bitch you are and make you look bad in front of your girl?"

At this Edward said nothing, so Blade continued.

"I'm not normally into white girls, but Bella here is a _fine_ piece of ass! Maybe I should just get rid of you right now, so I can show her what a real man is like! One who's not-"

He was cut off as Edward punched him squarely in the face. The blow knocked off Blade's sunglasses, and despite his stoic demeanor, Edward saw an amused look in the man's eyes.

Blade calmly picked up his sunglasses and put them back on, and then looked squarely at Bella.

"He's ready," he said.

---

"My liege, we've found the wolf," said the lackey.

Nosferatu glanced up from his throne.

"Excellent. Bring it to me at once."

The lackey excused himself, and returned shortly thereafter accompanied by three armed guards. Between them, in chains, was one Jacob Black.

"What the…what the Hell is this?!" asked Jacob, with a mix of both anger and fear. He then heard a voice, a sharp whisper, in his mind.

"Where is the boy of the Cullen clan?"

"I already told you guys, I haven't seen Edward for days!" shouted Jacob.

The voice spoke again. "Take it to the dungeon. Torture it until we get some useful information."

Regular communication had all but ceased to exist for Nosferatu. His speech was arcane, a harsh and guttural tongue that only he still used. Therefore he found it much easier to communicate telepathically. His underlings found the process jarring at first: hearing his voice in your head with him not speaking a word, but they adjusted soon enough. Many were simply grateful to be working with the legend himself.

As the wolf was dragged off to his fate, Nosferatu felt a strange sense of wonder. He glanced down at his right hand, crackling with black electricity, and thought of the future.

The plague would spread. Infection on a global level was inevitable.

And all would perish at his hand.

The girl.

The one they called "the Daywalker."

And even Edward Cullen.


End file.
